The video captures Jhameel's raw emotionality as he watches a loved one crushed under the weight of an abusive relationship. "Shadow of a Man" was directed, shot, conceptualized, and edited in-house by Jhameel and his team with no outside support or funding, making it a fully independent project. The video was shot amidst the wrecked and abandoned buildings of Salton City, a desolate California ghost town left to decay by its inhabitants in the 1970's.

With the origins of the band starting in 2003/2004 (pushing their music into the forefront more seriously in 2008) by member Loe (AKA Loerider) OnFire Ent is a collaborative group with members located in different parts of the country, bringing together the individual stylings of its core group, while also incorporating new collaborators into their musical family.

Rocky: I am influenced and inspired by everyday life, especially by my family and real life situations. Yes I have had musical idols I grew up mimicking but I wanted to create my own story and sound. I am a songwriter first, so all types of genres of music have helped shape what I do today.

Mike: Well known artists such as Chris Brown, Neyo, Lloyd, Trey Songz keeps that drive goin' for me. But also, past artists I’ve listened to my whole career as an artist.

L-dubs: My family. Revolutionary artists like Kanye West, Jay-Z, Eminem, Dr. Dre. New artists that do revolutionary music like Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole, Macklemore. I also take a lot from pop music so I also analyze works from Dr. Luke, Stargate and Max Martin.

Jargon: Mainstream- It would be a dream to work with Lauren Hill or Ma$e. A youtube singer I look forward to working with is Emmalyn Estrada.

Rocky: I am really opt to collab with just about everyone, but the business and song have to fit my style. As far as major artists/producers, I would really love to work with Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Andre 3000, Robin Thicke, Frank Ocean, and Prince. On an indie level, I am a fan of Mackelmore and Allen Stone, who are from my home state. I am not all the way integrated into the YouTube community and am relatively unknown but my Onfire boys tend to keep me in the loop. Actually I found out about Mackelmore and Allen Stine from YouTube.

Mike: Chris Brown and Trey Songz!

L-Dubs: YouTube wise, it'd be dope to get a collab with D-Pryde. Mainstream wise, I personally want to work with Carly Rae Jepsen, Keri Hilson and Jhene Aiko. Not the typical answers but it'd be really dope to get one of them on the hook for one of our joints. Rappers I would want to collab with would be the usual (Kanye, Jay, Drake, 2 Chainz, Kendrick and J.Cole) Producers I would want to collab with would be Mike Will Made It, Just Blaze, Boi-1Da, 40, Redfoo, Dr. Luke, Stargate and Max Martin.

Loe: Mainstream wise: Mitchy Slick, Meek Mill, A$AP, and Drake.
Youtube wise: I would love to do a song with Erica David and Maribelle Anes

Who Have You Enjoyed Collaborating With?

Jargon: Tommy C. who pretty much birthed my career. In the end, I will owe it all to him. J.Reyez is a very talented artist who has time and time again brought our collabs to the next level. Ben One is another one I worked with on a record called Tell Me Why; he is an amazing artist all around. Mike Musni is like my right hand man. Although we don’t have many songs together, we work on tons of music side by side helping one another out.

Rocky: First and foremost I really enjoy working on collab projects with my brothers from OnFire Ent. Yes I am my own separate entity, but they have helped me develop another arsenal to my repertoire, and give me the creative freedom to express myself through any style especially rap. I am a R&B/soul singer at heart but they give me the confidence to do certain type of singing rap verses and choruses that you find competitive and marketable in today's music. They trust my artistry and we just work well together. As far as YouTube goes, I haven't had the pleasure to work with many well known indie acts. The few that I have worked with have been great, especially Lil Crazed and Michelle Martinez, who I have gotten to know quite well. I am all about building relationships. In the major market, I have worked with Grammy Award winning platinum producers Tha Bizness (T-Pain, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Drake) producers Kuddie Fresh and Illoquint, and platinum songwriter Smitty. I have also penned songs for Twista, PitBull, and YMCMB, which have been wonderful experiences.

Mike: I’ve enjoyed working with the homies Onfire Ent. when it comes to layin down tracks in the studio, performing on stage, shoot’n video’s or just hangin out. I’ve also enjoyed working with other various Youtube artists within the past 2 yrs.

L-Dubs: We just did a joint with Michelle Martinez that's super dope. Be on the lookout for the video dropping very soon. We've also done collabs with Lil Crazed and Erin Paula that were great. Derez is also an artist who whenever we needed a dope verse was super quick to get back at us with some heat.

Loe: I would have to agree with everyone above! Favorite collab: ‘It Girl’ cover featuring Me, L-Dubs, Jargon, and Tommy C with J. Reyez as the videographer and special guest appearances with everyone from D-Pryde, Andrew Garcia, Erin Paula, Michelle Martinez, Lil Crazed, and more!

Ongoing Projects

Jargon: Aside from OnFire, I am currently working with Makers, a collab group with J.Reyez, Tommy C, and Gamble managed by Dennis Troung of Nu- Lite Entertainment.

Rocky: 2013 is going to be an even bigger year. 3 brand new projects...as well as a mini tour, and the continuation of the LNO tour.

Mike: Currently working with Onfire Ent on a few tracks. Setting up new home studio.

L-Dubs and Loe: Me and Loe are thinking of starting a food truck in the next couple years! Kung Pao Shrimp and Grits, Pulled Pork Lumpia, Ox-Tail Banh-Mi, Sriracha Lime Chicken and Waffles.. who want it?! All partial joking aside, look out for Sex, Drugs, Rap and Soul; Red, White, Black; and The ONFIRE ENT Collective Project to be named soon!!!

The only reason I seem to be posting this was because I was catching up on some news, and who knew that just four days ago there was something called the World Pole Dancing Championships...which made me have the following thoughts:

One is that I was just amazed that such a contest was going on.

Two is that I'm kind of sad I wasn't able to attend (and no, that doesn't make me a pervert, in fact, I can think of many other things if I admitted to liking that would actually make me a pervert) - I'd just be curious to see what the arena looked like and if they had a special pole for the championship - was it gold plated and 100 ft tall that competitors had to scale?).

Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana fiercely shot back at Mitt Romney’s claim Wednesday that President Barack Obama outmatched the 2012 Republican presidential nominee by offering "gifts" to African-Americans, Hispanics and young voters.

“I absolutely reject that notion,” Jindal, who was a surrogate for Romney’s campaign, said at the Republican Governors Association conference in Las Vegas. “I think that's absolutely wrong.” ... “I don't think that represents where we are as a party and where we're going as a party,” he continued. “That has got to be one of the most fundamental takeaways from this election.”

GOING GREEN THE WONG WAY
Created and written by Kristina Wong
Directed by Paul Tei
Design by Ian Garrett
Performed by Kristina Wong

In her quest to pursue sustainable living, Kristina Wong purchased a 1981 pink Mercedes that ran on vegetable oil, and endured a nightmare of never-ending car repairs and near death pursuits for the used cooking oil to fuel it. When the car finally burst into flames on an L.A. freeway, Wong lost the largest line item in her monthly budget, and gained the inspiration for this premiere production. GOING GREEN THE WONG WAY brings our contemporary urban environment to life, revealing just how tricky it is to "do the right thing." Based on Wong's true-life adventures, but elevated to surrealist heights, the production takes us from Kristina's confrontational 6th grade science project, to her wandering years as a missionary of recycling, to her true calling as Los Angeles' patron martyr of carbon-free living.

At Touchstone for two nights only!
Friday 11/16 and Saturday 11/17 at 8pm
Tickets $25 / $15 for students and seniors, with group rates available
Purchase tickets online at http://bit.ly/RRKhwM
Or by phone at 610-867-1689

For all the budding writers and publishers out there, this might be for you.

We also know that sometimes the hardest part isn't getting your ideas down on paper, but getting your manuscript out of the slush pile. It's hard to know where to start, especially if you've got a full-time job or are raising a kid. Enroll in the Asian American Writers’ Workshop's first annual publishing conference and meet veteran agents and editors and publishers from Farrar Straus Giroux, Little Brown Publishing, The New York Times, Grantland, The Millions, and Vice magazine. They'll share their trade secrets to get you on your way from solitary writer to bestselling author. Open to writers of all ages, races, and genres!

...

This is your chance. The Workshop has hand-selected insiders of the publishing industry so that you can get the attention you deserve as an aspiring writer. Veteran agents will teach you how to stand out and attain marketability. Senior editors of coveted publishing houses and publications will tell you the dos and don’ts of pitching and placing from small presses and trade publications to online magazines and new digital publishers like The Atavist and Kindle Singles. Acclaimed writers will share how they got their big break and how you can get yours! And publicists will share their strategies for increasing social media presence. See program schedule below.

WASHINGTON—Today, President Obama nominated Derrick Kahala Watson to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. If confirmed, Watson will be the only person of native Hawaiian descent serving as an Article III judge, and only the fourth in American history.

“We applaud Derrick Kahala Watson’s nomination to serve as a federal district judge on the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii,” said Wendy C. Shiba, president-elect of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “Mr. Watson has deep roots in Hawaii and if confirmed, he will be the only person of native Hawaiian ancestry on the federal bench. NAPABA commends President Obama, Senator Inouye, and Senator Akaka for supporting the nomination of such a well-qualified nominee to serve the people of Hawaii.”

Watson currently serves as chief of the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii. Prior to joining the office in 2007, he was in private practice at two firms in San Francisco, and also served for several years in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Watson was a member of the United States Army Reserve and served as a Captain in the JAG Corps from 1998-2006. He attended the Kamehameha Schools, Harvard College, and Harvard Law School, and is the first person in his family to attend college. Watson was raised in a multi-generational household on Oahu that included his mother, who worked at a local bank until her retirement several years ago, and his father, who retired from the Honolulu Police Department.

“We applaud President Obama, Senator Inouye, and Senator Akaka for supporting a nominee who has devoted much of his career to government service,” said Mee Moua, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice. “Mr. Watson’s nomination demonstrates the continued commitment of the President to diversify our judiciary.”

Pacific Islanders and Native Americans remain essentially unrepresented in the federal judiciary. No Native Hawaiian currently serves as an Article III judge, and there are currently no Native Americans serving on the federal bench. NAPABA continues to work with our partner organizations to remedy this glaring omission.

I think I just disagree based on the premise that Obama getting elected = less racism in this country. Was it less racism that got him elected, or was it just that more People Of Color did what they needed to do to ensure that the racism didn't kick him out of office?

In the NYT's article "Hyundai and Kia Acknowledge Overstating the Gas Mileage of Vehicles", it also says:

Hyundai and Kia apologized to customers for what they called “procedural errors” in testing that resulted in incorrect mileage stickers on some of their most popular models, like the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Rio...

The companies said the misstated mileage figures were a result of internal errors in testing the vehicles for E.P.A. certification.

I don't know how results in testing that were thought to be true equates to the sentiment that the companies somehow exaggerated the numbers more than what was known to be true.

The headline I like more is "Hyundai and Kia Acknowledge Errors In Gas Mileage Performance Data".

Just fact.

On their Web site, Hyundai says to its customers "We’ve got your back" in regard to its program to adjust its stated fuel economy rates and reimburse customers (approximately 900,000 owners) the difference between the previously stated fuel ratings and the new fuel ratings (more about the program in the press release).

First lady Michelle Obama’s request to speak at a Chesterfield County elementary school, while on the campaign trail in Virginia, was rejected by the school officials, citing that it went against school policy.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the Chesterfield school officials refused to discuss the request made by the Obama campaign.

Why wouldn't you want the First Lady to come and speak at your elementary school?

2008 Year In Review

If you're looking for the 2008 In Review Posts, the link list has been moved out, but you can still get to them all by following this link which pulls them up by label (they'll be in reverse so go to the oldest post to read them in order).

2007 In Review Posts

If you're looking for the 2007 In Review Posts, the link list has been moved out, but you can still get to them all by following this link which pulls them up by label (they'll be in reverse so go to the oldest post to read them in order).

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